Working.

So I'll try to cram a ton of information in really fast... ready?

First, specific prayer request. Almost the whole group is dealing with a pretty horrible case of... bed bugs! (yeah, they're real) And the huge red bites all over our lower legs are super painful/itchy/ugly/distracting. So pray that the bed bugs won't bite! Also, I'm hearing that there have been terrorist attacks in Darjeeling, which is where we were hoping to go for a little bit to help in an orphanage. They aren't letting tourists in. Any information for me on that?

Next, we've worked for two days now in our specific houses, and it has been nothing short of amazing. Grant loved working with the handicapped boys so much yesterday that he came back to the hostel with a mission... finding balls to juggle for the boys. I'll try to make him get on here to write you all a blog more specific about everything he does, but I know that it's very emotionally and physically exhausting! He told me about a handicapped boy that is fairly big that kept trying to put his arms around him, but other workers said not to let him because he would squeeze very hard and not let go. Today he got to go out and wash a bunch of street children with soap and water. He loved it :) He said they were all jumping on him and wanting him to swing them around. He had a blast.

Where I am, each volunteers helps with one child a day for the most part. I worked with a 12 year old girl yesterday named Lota. She has cerebral palsy. Her legs are bent backwards and she can't straighten them, and she cannot communicate. She does not look 12 in any way. Maybe 4 with slightly longer limbs. I fed her, which was difficult since she didn't like opening her mouth at all, I exercised her, which was really just trying to get her to hold herself up a tiny bit with her arms while I supported the rest of her body and massaged her muscles, changed her diaper, and then more feeding. The girl I worked with today was named Bobeta, and 8 year old who also has cerebral palsy. She was easier to work with in some ways, and harder in others. She didn't want to open her mouth plus her tongue inhibited her swallowing. It was the same with both of these girls, when they smiled or laughed my heart swelled up. I almost started crying today watching Bobeta smile in her sleep as I tickled her arms. I'm excited to work with the rest of the children, some cannot walk, some have no eyes, and some have the minds of babies, and I just love, love, love them!

Anyway, this hotel man is stingy about his internet, so I'm out of time. There is so much more I wanted to share! Better save some stories for when we come home though :) Love you so much!